Mob Boss: The Life of Little Al D’Arco, the Man Who Brought Down the Mafia

From Booklist On September 21, 1991, Al D’Arco, acting head of the Luchese crime family, placed a phone call to an FBI agent and said he wanted to talk. He talked plenty, eventually putting dozens of crime figures behind bars. Although he was way more effective than the better-known Joseph Valachi, D’Arco has remained, until now, pretty much off the general public’s radar. This gripping biography should change that. The authors, both New York crime writers, take us through D’Arco’s life and career, including his stints in prison. He was a loyal member of the Luchese family right up to the time when, facing the near certainty of his own assassination, he decided to get out while he still could. D’Arco acted purely to save his own skin, getting back at the people who were trying to kill him. And, yet, he comes off as a man of something like honor who lived his life according to the rules (albeit skewed rules). Recommend this one to fans of Nicholas Pileggi’s Wise Guy (1986), Philip Carlo’s Gaspipe (2008), or coauthor Capeci’s own Gotti: Rise and Fall (1996). --David Pitt --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. Tom Robbins has been called a vital natural resource by the Oregonian , one of the wildest and most entertaining novelists in the world by the Financial Times of London, and the most dangerous writer in the world today by Fernanda Pivano of Italys Corriere della Sera. A Southerner by birth, Robbins has lived in and around Seattle since 1962. He is the author of eight novels. Jerry Capeci , a New York-based award-winning reporter, columnist, and author for more than four decades, has written or coauthored seven books about the Mafia, including Murder Machine and Mob Star: The Story of John Gotti . Tom Robbins has covered crime and politics in New York for more than thirty years as a reporter and columnist for the New York Daily News , New York Observer , and Village Voice . He now teaches investigative reporting at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism. --This text refers to the audioCD edition. "Al D'Arco loved two things: His wife and his gangster life, not necessarily in that order. This book makes me wish I'd known him better. This is a genuinely great mob story about a genuine New York gangster told by two of the city's best reporters." --Jimmy Breslin, author of "The Good Rat" and "The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight" "This is the dramatic story of the most important mobster to testify against the Mafia since Joe Valachi, as told by two of New York's top investigative reporters. This is a must-read for anyone concerned about the connection between organized crime and labor racketeering." --Robert M. Morgenthau, longest serving Manhattan District Attorney "Al D'Arco was the quintessential wiseguy - and the mob's worst nightmare. Capeci and Robbins have used Little Al's incredible insight about 'The Life' and their own reporting skills to write a compelling book about the rise and decline of the American Mafia, from the days of Al Capone and Lucky Luciano to the heyday of Chin Gigante and John Gotti. It's a true crime story that reads like a novel." --Nicholas Pileggi, author of "Wiseguy" and "Casino ""Little Al D'Arco had to choose between which family he would forsake. The mob family he commanded as boss, or his own family, including the son who had succumbed to the very drugs the mob helped move onto the streets. When D'Arco made his choice, it shocked Cosa Nostra to its core. Never before had the "Boss" of a mob family decided to break the "code of omerta." The secrets that "Little Al" could reveal were not just the secrets of the Luchese Crime Family--he knew the secrets of the bosses of all the families. No two reporters have ever navigated the secret world of the Mafia more adeptly than Jerry Capeci and Tom Robbins. This book is their masterpiece. --John Miller, senior correspondent at CBS News and former deputy in FBI and NYPD "Not since Abe Reles first identified Murder Inc. before dropping to his death fr "A raw and fascinating account of one mobster's daily activities and career." --"Kirkus Reviews ""This gripping biography [is] recommended to fans of Nicholas Pileggi's Wise Guy (1986), Philip Carlo's Gaspipe (2008), or coauthor Capeci's own Gotti: Rise and Fall (1996)." --"Booklist ""Just a superb book. This is a powerful addition to the true history of the United States. Through hard, relentless reporting, Capeci and Robbins strip away the dark glamor and wormy movie myths about the American Mob and come as close to the truth as any outsiders might ever get. It's a dirty story about corruption and brutal power. The authors take us to many dirty places in our politics, trade unions, and ideals, and make clear that Mob power was too often enforced through a bullet in the skull. They also narrate the squalid tale of how Mob power declined and fell. The soundtrack for the dying version of the Mob was usually loud with the squealing of rats." --Pete Hamill, "New York Times "bestselling author of "Forever" and "North River ""Tom Robbins and Jerry Capeci have written a fascinating, inside look at the mob, in this biography of a major mafia boss who turned government witness once the knives were out for him. Even mob cognoscenti will learn all sorts of things they never suspected. By turns horrifying, suspenseful, and darkly hilarious, "Mob Boss" is a terrific read." --Kevin Baker, author of "The Big Crowd ""If you read one book about the decline and fall of the mafia in America, let it be "Mob Boss." Capeci and Robbins, two first-rate reporters at the top of their game, present an unforgettable portrait of Little Al D'Arco, who presided over the last big mafia war in New York, then took the stand in court to once and for all obliterate the Honored Society. An astounding read that belongs in the upper tier of organized crime literature." --T.J. English, author of "The Savage City" and "Havana Nocturne ""Al D'Arco l "A gripping, novelistic biography...the authors score a bull's eye." --"New York Times ""A raw and fascinating account of one mobster's daily activities and career." --"Kirkus Reviews ""This gripping biography [is] recommended to fans of Nicholas Pileggi's Wise Guy (1986), Philip Carlo's Gaspipe (2008), or coauthor Capeci's own Gotti: Rise and Fall (1996)." --"Booklist ""Just a superb book. This is a powerful addition to the true history of the United States. Through hard, relentless reporting, Capeci and Robbins strip away the dark glamor and wormy movie myths about the American Mob and come as close to the truth as any outsiders might ever get. It's a dirty story about corruption and brutal power. The authors take us to many dirty places in our politics, trade unions, and ideals, and make clear that Mob power was too often enforced through a bullet in the skull. They also narrate the squalid tale of how Mob power declined and fell. The soundtrack for the dying version of the Mob was usually loud with the squealing of rats." --Pete Hamill, "New York Times "bestselling author of "Forever" and "North River ""Tom Robbins and Jerry Capeci have written a fascinating, inside look at the mob, in this biography of a major mafia boss who turned government witness once the knives were out for him. Even mob cognoscenti will learn all sorts of things they never suspected. By turns horrifying, suspenseful, and darkly hilarious, "Mob Boss" is a terrific read." --Kevin Baker, author of "The Big Crowd ""If you read one book about the decline and fall of the mafia in America, let it be "Mob Boss." Capeci and Robbins, two first-rate reporters at the top of their game, present an unforgettable portrait of Little Al D'Arco, who presided over the last big mafia war in New York, then took the stand in court to once and for all obliterate the Honored Society. An astounding read that belongs in the upper tier of organized crime lit --This text refers to the hardcover edition. Read more